The List
by Naidoo
Summary: When Jack gives Ianto an ultimatum in regards of where they stand with each other, Ianto decides on creating a list of pro's and contras to help him sort his mind. Little does he know, that a list really isn't necessary when your mind is already made up.


_AN: It seems my Torchwood stories usually have very little conversation. Which is funny, seeing that my stories for the other fandom I write for usually are just conversation. This was supposed to actually be a first chapter of an angsty multi-chapter story that has been on my mind for a while now. But pretty much after the first three sentences it became obvious this was not very angsty and I made it a oneshot and give that first chapter of my angsty multi-chapter another try soon. Would love to hear what you think. _

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Ianto liked things neat and in order. It gave him a certain feeling of control and power when thing around him were ordered and things had a system. In his apartment everything had a place and his closet had a system. His ties were ordered by color. The same could be said for his suits and shirts - from the lightest shade to the darkest. And within the shade-system they were ordered from plain to stripes to graphics (although the graphics only applied to his socks, ties and underwear). Yes, Ianto liked order. So when Jack had given him some sort of ultimatum, he had turned to exactly that. He ordered things until they made sense and he had made up his mind.

The thing was that since a few months now he and Jack had spent quite a few nights together. It definitely happened unexpected – but then again, in retrospective, maybe bot that unexpected. Of all the people at Torchwood Three it seemed to be Ianto who Jack flirted with most or made appropriate or inappropriate comments. Ianto should have known that sooner or later they would end up together in bed. And it only took them a bit over year.

Ianto was okay with whatever they were doing. It was in fact quite a nice change to the job, some sort of an outlet if you wanted to call it like that. It wasn't as if he denied what they did. Nor did he really have a problem with it. But after what happened to Lisa and the fact that when it came to 'office-romances' there were usually only two possible outcomes, Ianto wasn't sure he wanted to label what he and Jack did. And now of all people it was Jack who wanted to know where they stood. Jack, who probably had more notches on his bedpost than anyone in the world and who was rather famous for his general love of everyone. A love he was happy to distribute freely.

So Ianto did what he assumed would help him best. He made a list. A simple task. If it wouldn't be Jack. Because nothing involving Captain Jack Harkness was ever easy. And that was probably going on the 'contra' side of his list. Just like the fact that they were complete opposites. He was the neat, clean, tidy one and Jack… well, Jack wasn't. Any of that for a matter. Ianto usually was reasonable and acted rather responsible, thoughtful even. He thought things through. Jack was more a 'gut-feeling'- kind of guy, who seemed to not really considered consequences most times. Ianto was the grown-up and Jack… in all fairness, Jack was the child – at least when it came to his behavior sometimes. But maybe that was what Ianto needed. A bit of chaos in his life to shack things up and get him out of the monotony he seemed to have gotten himself into.

And Jack was moody. Most people probably wouldn't even know about this, but Ianto had happened to be on the wrong side once too many when Jack wasn't his usual happy-go-lucky self. Ianto could only assume how these moods might feel like when they should get involved on a more serious level and he wasn't quite sure he wanted to know the really bad sides of Harkness and further than he already did. But it was kind of fun trying to turn this frown upside down. In his experience jack's good mood that followed his bad one usually was quite a sight and fun time to be around for. You just had to weather the storm until then.

When Jack wasn't in a bad mood – which didn't happen _that _often – he surely was a lot of fun to be around and his _skills_ in the bedroom were… innovative to say the least. In fact when it came to the whole sex side of what they were doing, he probably could add quite a few things to the 'pro' side. Jack's skills certainly weren't the only things worth mentioning. It seemed like Jack was very intuitive when it came to what Ianto needed, or even craved. And he certainly got a great workout of this.

Ianto wasn't sure whether Jack's looks should really make it on that list, but then again, he had to admit that Jack did look rather handsome and that he couldn't remember ever being with someone who was that gorgeous.

He could talk for hours, about anything. A fact Ianto didn't always appreciate, especially when all he craved sometimes was silence and not having to discuss several odd topics that Ianto actually didn't have an opinion about. Not that this stopped Jack. Nope, Jack could have conversations all by himself as well.

The fact that he knew nothing about Jack would be another contra. In fact they had worked together now for over a year and he knew pretty much the same about Jack like a year ago. And even what he knew, he didn't get from Jack, no, that was mostly hear-say, back from his days at Torchwood London. But mystery usually kept things interesting. And who knew, maybe Jack's urge to talk more or less constantly would eventually bring up some more information about him.

Jack's flirting earned another contra point on the list. Ianto knew that flirting was like a second language for Jack. He used it to get his will or get out of trouble. Or involuntarily into trouble on some rare days. Of course Ianto couldn't know how that would change if they should go that step towards something more serious. But then again… it was Jack he was talking about. Jack. How probably didn't even know how to cut it down. For him, flirting was like everyday conversation or small talk really.

_The_ coat. Certainly deserved a spot all by itself on the pro side. Of course, every sane person would just assume he had officially lost his mind, when he put a piece of clothing on the pro side of a list that he created to determine what his and Jack's future could or could not be like. But then again he had some very fond memories about that coat and Jack's _innovativeness_ and the whole skill-point from earlier on. So what if it technically fell under the whole sex point from earlier. At this point, looking at his list he didn't like that the contra side was quite a bit longer. And it was his list anyway. So he could put on it whatever he liked. And maybe adding a few random items to the pro side should have been his first clue that this decision had actually already made.

Jack was unpredictable - another contra-point. He was the kind of guy that would take his clothes off and go dancing in the rain – and yes, Ianto really could see Jack doing exactly _that_. But then again, that wasn't always such a bad thing to be unpredictable. So far, everything that resulted out of this behavior usually gave Ianto nothing to complain about. Quite the opposite.

And Ianto probably never felt as lost with someone as he felt with Jack. Not knowing where exactly they stood certainly added to that, but then again that was his decision until now. And he might have felt lost, but he also never felt as secure with anyone as when he was with Jack. And now he contradicted himself.

Getting more frustrated with every item that landed on either pro or contra side of his list, Ianto decided that this wasn't working out. He ripped the piece of paper from the rest of the notepad and scrunched it up.

Maybe his and Jack's _relationship_ was not something that could be deciphered by a list of contras and pros. Which brought him back to the 'not easy' part when it came to dealing with one Captain Jack Harkness.

He stared at the bundle of paper in front of him for a moment, looking rather concentrated, before taking it and opening the ball of paper, smoothing it as well as he could. Taking his pen again, he scribbled one last item on that list – right between both columns.

_Pheromones_!

Because he probably never stood a chance. Right from the moment they met, Ianto Jones had been helplessly falling under Jack Harkness' spell. Whether it were the pheromones you could blame, or whether it was something entirely different, Ianto came to realize it didn't matter. And neither did his list, because his answer had been long made up. He just hadn't known it yet.

And come Monday, Jack would get his answer in form of Ianto's list as the answer. Let's see whether he'd figure this out. Because nothing they did was ever easy. So why should this be? But Ianto was certain, the Captain would figure it out – eventually.

***** FIN *****


End file.
